| Into the Lion's Den |
| Summary: | Elias briefs Amos on an upcoming mission. Things remain intensely polite when differences of opinion come to the fore. |
| Date: | 15/Nov/2012 |
| Related Logs: | None yet posted |
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| Map Room - Deck 2 - Battlestar Orion |
| Dominating the room is the large bottom-lit map table in the very center. Ten feet across and eight feet the other way, the table can gather a large number of people around it while still accommodating enlisted and support personnel in the small riser seating behind the table. The risers are done in single-piece desk sections that run the width of the seating area and have small reporting displays built into them along with communications ports for headphones. At the head of the room are two very large LED displays that can have almost anything put on them, including projections of what is on the map table. A single computer at the support seating controls this and in the rear of the room is a large, locked case that holds maps and table models. |
| AWD #312 |
Word is passed through Battalion HQ that the Marines are needed as part of an upcoming operation. The usual flurry of memos go back and forth until, at last, a briefing is scheduled. The appointed hour finds the Map Room clear of personnel, save for the Intelligence Officer, who is standing by the central map table with several file folders near at hand. The young Captain leans over the table, both palms resting on the tabletop, as he reviews his notes. He is, for once, not smoking.
What's that? Fleet is planning something and it needs the Marines? What a shocker. Still though, operations are part of Amos' remit and so it's him that ends up going to go see what the boys in blue are planning this time. In his greens, with a notepad and pen about his person he stides into the map room about a minute ahead of schedule and notes the solitary presence at the table. "Morning Captain," he offers as he approaches, "this another quiet one then I take it?"
Elias's eyes flick up at the sound of someone entering the compartment, and he straightens to greet the Marine officer. "Good morning, Captain Ommanney." In answer to the other man's question, Elias slides a file folder across the table towards him. "Yes and no. It's going to be a bit large to keep quiet, but there are components of the plan that we need to keep quiet until the time comes. Would you care for some coffee before we get started?"
Amos glances first to the file, then back up to Elias as the offer is made. He holds up an empty hand though,and gives a quick shake of his head, "just finsihed one before heading up here, but don't let that stop you if you're wanting." That said, he turns his attention to the folder, seemingly perfectly content to have a quick skim through while his fellow Captain refreshes himself.
Elias nods politely as the coffee is declined, and gets right down to business. "We believe we have the location of the Cylon download facility on Picon." The Intel Officer points to the map displayed on the tabletop, a military topographic map of a hilly area with a modest-sized town in the center. "The plan is to try and capture it, or failing that, destroy it. If we can capture it, I'm hoping we can study their download technology, and find a way to block it." He gives Amos a moment to pour over the operations order, already signed by Jameson, that is inside the folder.
Amos reads and listens at the same time, it's one of those useful skills he's picked up over the years. Conveniently, he reaches the bottom of the page at about the time that Elias finishes talking and glances back up to the intelligence officer, then the map in question. "Right then, simple ones first. What is the likelyhood that they'll surrender and can we trust that it'll be a full surrender if they do or are we looking at a potential split scenario where some do and some remain behind to defend the facility and or catch us unawares because we're supposed to think they've surrendered? What other forces to they have in the area that they might call on? And howlong are you giving them between the warning from the raptor and my lads going in to flush them out?"
Elias appears to have anticipated these questions, as he has ready answers for them all. "What I /hope/ to do is lead the Cylons to believe that our only objective is to destroy the facility. If they believe that, there's not much point in staying behind to defend it. Still … there is 'disagreement' among the skinjob models over the course of the war, which is another part of why we're bothering with a warning. We may have friends, of a sort, in there." Elias is very careful about how he says that last bit. "But the Ones in particular may decide to stay behind and die anyway. I suspect, once they realize what is happening, they will try to destroy the facility themselves." Yes, he is asking Amos and his people to capture a facility that /could/ be blown up with them inside it. He gestures to the map again. "We don't want to tip our hand, so the recce has been very light. Whatever is nearby, we'll have air to slow it down or stop it. And if things get too dicey, we'll pull your people out and nuke the site from orbit. Exact timing is flexible but we need to give them some time to comply with the evacuation order, and to make it look like we're planning to blow the place off the map. Perhaps an hour or two."
Amos listens again, although this time instead of reading he's making notes. "Understood," is his only initial verbal reply, but once he's finished scribblin gaway he looks up again and goes for round two. "I appreciate that you say the recon has been light, but do we have any indication on how many active agents we might find? Also, if we have potential 'friends' there, what is the likelyhood of them actively assisting as opposed to bugging out to the containment area and if so, is there an agreed signal so that we might know them as partisans and not just gun them down on sight?"
"No hard numbers," Elias admits when questioned about the opposition. "My best guess is that there could be several dozen skinjobs. Perhaps as many as a hundred. But I don't expect your people to deal with those sorts of numbers. If they dig in and refuse to surrender, Fleet will deal with them all." The question of 'friendly' skinjobs gets a quick nod from Elias. "Models Nine and Eleven are the only ones that might be considered 'friendly' at the moment. But even then it is on an individual basis. So unless a skinjob is a Nine or Eleven obviously trying to cooperate, I would assume they're hostile. We're not warning any of them ahead of time, so no, no password will be arranged."
The figure of a hundred does earn Elias a slight raising of one of Amos' eyebrows. If it hadn't been for the following comment about the fleet there might even have been an 'are you kidding?' expression too. Instead though, there's just another nod and a few more scribbles before he's looking at the map again, asking as he does so. "Timeframe?"
"We don't have a set time table for this," Elias explains evenly, showing little response to the Captain's reaction, or lack thereof. "I will be briefing the CAG later today and I'm sure we'll need at least a few days for planning and coordination, so you tell me when you think you'll be ready to run it. Fortunately for us that facility is not going anywhere, and there's no sign the Cylons means to blow up their only chance and resurrection." There is a brief pause before he adds on final bit. "I know it's a tall order Captain. If we get to boots on the ground it will be the Marine commander's call on whether the capture is possible or not. Perhaps it won't be possible, but I know your people can do it if it is."
"Give me a week," Amos replies after a moment's thought, "if there's no pressing urge to get this done as quickly as possible then we're served better by doing it right." A final look at the map and then back to Elias. "You have any intelligence from inside he facility? Floorplans, directions through to where we need to be? What their power generators look like? We can be in and out a lot quicker if we know exactly what it is we're looking for rather than having to search room by room, floor by floor."
Elias gives a small nod to acknowledge the proposed timeline, voicing no objection to a week. "We have nothing from inside the facility, at present. Our resident skinjobs are the only ones who may have been inside one, and I'm hesitant to discuss it with either of them. I'm not sure how they're going to feel about us possibly getting our hands on the place." His lips compress into a tight line. "Which brings up one last point … I trust in Sergeant Knox, but just the same, it might be a good idea to order him to keep quiet about the true objective of this mission, if you discuss it with him. And I'd like you to consider keeping him out of harms way. If he's killed on this mission and the facility is destroyed, we could lose him, permanently."
Amos considers that in silence for a few moments, frowning a little at some of what is said. "No offence Captain, but if it's a choice between hurting a few feelings and keeping my lads alive then I there really is no choice. You're asking us to put our lives on the line without basic information that could just be a qustion away. If they don't know then fine, they don't know, but if they do and we lose marines becuase you didn't even ask then how do you think that's going to play out in the long run?" His tone is calm, though, he's just stating facts rather than getting agitated, but it's an important point for him. As for Knox he considers again then states, "as my JTAC I'll need him where the strike threats are and that means with the landing team. I'll talk to him about keeping his knowledge quiet if needs be, but it'd be a waste of his skills and a risk to my team to have him stationed anywhere elsein this strike." On that note though he does ask, "how much of this is cleared to disceminate amongst the troops?"
Elias gives a small nod to acknowledge the proposed timeline, voicing no objection to a week. "We have nothing from inside the facility, at present. Our resident skinjobs are the only ones who may have been inside one, and I'm hesitant to discuss it with either of them. I'm not sure how they're going to feel about us possibly getting our hands on the place." His lips compress into a tight line. "Which brings up one last point … I trust in Sergeant Knox, but just the same, it might be a good idea to order him to keep quiet about the true objective of this mission, if you discuss it with him. And I'd like you to consider keeping him out of harms way. If he's killed on this mission and the facility is destroyed, we could lose him, permanently."
Amos considers that in silence for a few moments, frowning a little at some of what is said. "No offence Captain, but if it's a choice between hurting a few feelings and keeping my lads alive then I there really is no choice. You're asking us to put our lives on the line without basic information that could just be a qustion away. If they don't know then fine, they don't know, but if they do and we lose marines becuase you didn't even ask then how do you think that's going to play out in the long run?" His tone is calm, though, he's just stating facts rather than getting agitated, but it's an important point for him. As for Knox he considers again then states, "as my JTAC I'll need him where the strike threats are and that means with the landing team. I'll talk to him about keeping his knowledge quiet if needs be, but it'd be a waste of his skills and a risk to my team to have him stationed anywhere elsein this strike." On that note though he does ask, "how much of this is cleared to disceminate amongst the troops?"
Elias seems largely unphased by the reaction he gets from Amos, responding levely and in the same professional tone he's used during the rest of the briefing. "It's not their feelings I'm worried about, Captain. It's how far it might test their loyalty. We are talking about potentially learning the secrets of their immortality, and putting a stop to it. It's also the clearing house for their collective memories. It may even give us a way to re-program their entire race." He pauses a second to let the implications sink it. "Which is why I would prefer to keep Sergeant Knox safely out of the way. Even if this operation fails, he still has the potential to influence every Model Six in existance. I wouldn't want to lose that capability." He pauses to take a deep breath and collect the rest of his throughts. "I do intend to get what intel I can out of Doctor Tamsin. But the only other option is to ask the cooperative Nines, and I don't trust them enough for that. As for information security, I'll leave that to your judgement, but I would prefer if you could come up with some cover story, and only reveal the true target when you're ready to jump off."
Amos remains blank-faced as Elias replies. He's said his piece and it doesn't appear that the intelligence officer's words have changed his mind. There's a brief nod as talking to Doctor Tamsin is mentioned, that he approves of at least apparently. "I'll await what answers you get from the Doctor then," he answers, "and talk things through with the Sergeant. He'd be an asset though, and if he wants to be on the landing team then I won't say not to him for the reasons I've already stated." He pauses to make a couple of notes then finishes with, "details can be kept quiet. I'll be telling them the target is classified though, rather than lie to them, just in case that factors into your workings anywhere."
"Understood. Thank you, Captain," Elias responds politely when Amos' informs him of what he plans to tell the Marines. And neither does the Intel Officer argue his case further. "As I said, the ground operation is your's. I only wanted to make sure you were fully aware of the implications for Sergeant Knox. If you do learn anything from him, I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know."
"Thank you for your consideration on the matter Captain," Amos replies, still entirely politely, "but we've had such implications in mind since we hit Crandall." Putting his pen and notes away he turns as if he's about to leave before pausing a moemnt and stating for the record, "of course Captain, if you find yourself wanting a seat on the landing team, so as you might learn from the facility first hand, do not hesitate to ask. In fact, should Doctor Tamsin prove unable to provide many deails, your indepth knowledge may be invaluable." Yeah, he knows what the answer to that is going to be, but if the man is going to scrimp on the intel gathering side then it's only polite to offer him the chance to prove he has some balls left.
"If Sergeant Knox had died at anytime up to now, he would have downloaded to this facility and we'd have had a chance of getting him back." As well as him influencing the Sixes, but Elias leaves that unsaid. "This time is different." But again, they've hashed this out and Elias is obviously not trying to restart that debate. The offer to come along on the landing team earns a wry smile from Elias, and though he seems perfectly aware of the implications Amos seems to intend, the Intel Officer doesn't look offended. "I'd rather not get in your way unless I'm sure I can be of use. But you can save me a seat on the Raptor, just in case."
"Aye," Amos admits with a faint nod, "but we didn't know that at the time." He could continue, but for the sake of getting things over with and not disolving into a pissing contest he simply adds, "I'll pencil you in on the roster. We can always remove you again if it turns out we won't have need of your expertese." Same as he'll be pencilling Knox in, although that's one name he doesn't want to end up rubbing out. "Good day then Captain, unless there was anything else?"
Elias just mmmms guardedly about what they did or did not know earlier during the Picon invasion. Did he know there was one somewhere? Perhaps. He gives a curt nod about being added to the mission roster, then shakes his head at Amos' final question. "Not from my end. If there is anything else you need, just let me know, Captain."